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WWE Studios
WWE Studios, Inc.; commonly known as WWE Studios (formerly known as WWE Films) is a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of WWE which was created in 2002 as to develop and produce feature film properties for its wrestlers and personnel. WWE Studios movies frequently mix well-known actors and actresses in lead roles with WWE Superstars, and teams with existing production and distribution companies to deliver the product at a cheaper cost for both parties. History Before the formation of WWE Studios, the WWF had produced the 1989 film No Holds Barred featuring Hulk Hogan under the Shane Distribution Company banner, a precursor to today's company. The film was given a DVD release in 2012. WWE Studios was formed in 2002 as WWE Films, and was seen as "a natural extension of the entertainment business" that they already featured in the weekly Raw and SmackDown television programmes. Joel Simon was named as President of the WWE Films and Jed Blaugrund as Vice President. The name was changed to WWE Studios in 2008. WWE announced the first three film projects in January 2005; The Condemned, starring Steve Austin, The Marine, starring John Cena, and Goodnight, later retitled as See No Evil, starring Kane. In February 2009, WWE Studios announced the first film which would not feature a WWE Superstar as the lead, with That's What I Am starring Ed Harris as a schoolteacher accused of fondling kids. In December 2009, it was announced that Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover would star in the WWE Studios and Samuel Goldwyn Films co-production of Legendary along with WWE Superstar John Cena. Around the same time, the film announced production had been completed another co-production with Samuel Goldwyn Films, comedy Knucklehead starring WWE Superstar Big Show. Further projects were announced in 2010 with WWE Superstars in lead roles, with The Chaperone starring Triple H, which was released in February 2011, and Bending the Rules starring Edge, which was released in March 2012. Former WWE Studios president Joel Simon died on June 19, 2011 after a four-year battle with cancer. In February 2012, WWE Studios agreed a new three-film deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to produce, finance and market three straight-to-DVD titles, including The Marine 3: Homefront starring The Miz, having previously worked with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on the previous films in the franchise The Marine and The Marine 2. The deal also included the release of 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded starring Randy Orton, having together previously released 12 Rounds starring John Cena. In April 2012, WWE Studios partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment France and producer Thomas Langmann to distribute French film Les Reines Du Ring in USA and Canada, as well as the rights to remake the film, which was announced in 2014. WWE Studios has produced No One Lives with Pathe Pictures, starring Luke Evans (Immortals) and WWE Superstar Brodus Clay, acquired the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival cult hit The Day, starring Shawn Ashmore (X-Men trilogy) and Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Lost). WWE Studios has acquired Interrogation, a suspense thriller by Adam Rodin. WWE Studios has also secured the rights to Bermuda, a found footage horror spec script by Bobby Lee Darby and Nathan Brookes, set in the Bermuda Triangle. WWE Studios is teaming with producer Edward R. Pressman and Jason Blum's Blum-Hanson-Allen films to develop Cruisin' for a Brusin', an action comedy to be written and directed by Adam Bhala Lough. WWE Studios and Warner Bros. will co-produce a Scooby-Doo animated feature that finds Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at Wrestlemania. On May 29, 2013 it was announced that WWE studios and Warner Bros will once again team up to co produce a Flintstones animated movie to be released in early 2015. WWE Studios most successful film to date is the 2013 release The Call, starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin, which made close to $70 million at the box office, despite a comparatively small budget of just $13m. Despite having an R rating, The film opened at the US box office at #2 with 17 million in its first weekend and was only expected to make 11-12 million. It was reported that thanks to The Call's big success WWE is looking at a potential sequel. In 2013, WWE Studios and Hyde Park Entertainment agreed to work together on the film adaptation of the 1980s television series The Fall Guy. The film will star Dwayne Johnson, who made his name as The Rock in WWE from 1996-2004 before becoming an actor, in his first WWE Studios production since departing. In August 2014, a second collaboration between WWE Studios and Hyde Park was announced, with Ken Jeong, David Hasselhoff and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan signed to star in a comedy tentatively known as Untitled Celebrity Death Pool. In February 2014, WWE announced the sequel to 1996 film Jingle All the Way, to star Larry the Cable Guy and WWE Superstar Santino Marella. In May 2014, it was announced that WWE had extended their partnership with Lions Gate Entertainment to release a further six films together, with the first announced being Vendetta, and "Lockdown" starring Dean Ambrose as a police officer. Filmography Released *The Scorpion King (2002) *The Rundown (2003) *Walking Tall (2004) *The Mania of WrestleMania (2004) *See No Evil (2006) *The Marine (2006) *The Condemned (2007) *12 Rounds (2009) *Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia (2009, Direct-to-video) *The Marine 2 (2009, Direct-to-video) *Legendary (2010) *Knucklehead (2010) *The Chaperone (2011) *That's What I Am (2011) *Inside Out (2011) *The Reunion (2011) *Bending the Rules (2012) *The Day (2012) *Barricade (2012) *The Marine 3: Homefront (2013, Direct-to-video) *Dead Man Down (2013) *The Call (2013) *No One Lives (2013) *12 Rounds 2: Reloaded (2013, Direct-to-video) *Les reines du ring (2013) *Christmas Bounty (2013, TV movie) *Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery (2014, Direct-to-video) *Oculus (2014) *Road to Paloma (2014) *Leprechaun: Origins (2014) Upcoming *See No Evil 2 (2014, Direct-to-video) *Incarnate (2014) *The Fall Guy (2015) *Untitled Flintstones WWE movie (2015, Direct-to-video) *Term Life (2015) *Vendetta (2015) *The Marine 4: Moving Target (TBA, Direct-to-video) *Jingle All the Way 2 (TBA, Direct-to-video) *Camp WWE (TBA) *Lockdown (2015) External links *WWE Studios at WWE.com * Category:Films by studio